A Light within the Darkness
by FlamePumpkin32
Summary: Eruanna is the last princess of the dying world Charn and she is pulled into the Wood between the Worlds with her aunt Jadis. Middle Earth needs a new hero to change the fate of a most important quest. Her magic could help or destroy this new world and the Shadow is calling her. Perhaps the blood of the White Witch may run deeper in her than she thought. OC/Dwarf romance later
1. The Beginning of the End

_**A/N**_**: A new story! Oh boy. I know I have yet to finish my Harry Potter story. What else is new? But this is just a tester chapter. To see if people like where it's going or want to know where it's going or just hate it. I'd love some feedback. How to make it better et cetera, et cetera. It's a Narnia/Tolkien crossover. I decided not to place it under the crossover category because I knew it wouldn't really be seen there. Besides, I don't consider it as a 'true crossover' because my OC never actually makes it to Narnia. She's just from Charn. So review! And I'll upload another chapter based on those reviews. Happy New Year lovelies!**

When I had been awoken in Charn by the Human children, I was horrified to learn that my deceptive aunt, Jadis, was awoken as well. Charn had been a lovely place before our sun began to die. It was truly the Kingdom of all Kingdoms. The great city of Charn had been the capital of an entire empire created out of war. Thousands of years before my time, Charn had been a benevolent nation. But two hundred years before I was born, Charn had become increasingly more aggressive, destroying other nations and taking their lands. Charn was a wealthy and populous nation that stretched far beyond the eye could see, half the world could have been the city. No one really knew. That's how big my home was.

The Hall of Images in the royal palace is evidence of the deterioration of Charnian rule. The first and oldest portraits are of the kind and wise rulers. The rulers I was convinced I was like; pure of heart, generous, and humble. But after a few thousand years the faces worsen and become arrogant, vain cruel, and even desperate. The rulers had embraced the terror within and ruled the population as property, killing when it suited them. Charn had always been ruled by emperors and empresses who could wield magic; Light Magic, Dark Magic, Healing Magic, et cetera. The nobility were also known to be descendants of the Jinn and Giants. My mother was the last real Empress of Charn. I had sisters and brothers too; I was the youngest and yet, more powerful than they were. I was much shorter too, dwarfed at five-foot-four by their six-foot-plus height, and much less cruel. I was gifted with the Magic of Life, something I grew to love and cherish. I was Charn's apprentice Healer. Unfortunately, that was one of the lowest occupations since Charn was a world of war and to die in battle was considered the greatest of honors.

Despite my being under age at the time, I helped against Jadis' attack. She was once the General of Charn's vast armies. But my mother's sister had become obsessed with war and power. She gathered a large army of those loyal only to her and attacked the great city in attempt to take control and become Empress. The war was extremely bloody and lasted many long years. It destroyed the entire population along with all the living things of the world. Eventually, my mother won. She, finally tired of fighting, extended an invitation to Jadis to discuss the terms of surrender. We were all there, the whole royal family and what was left of the court and my mother's army. Instead of admitting defeat, Jadis proclaimed herself the last Empress of Charn. She used the ultimate magical weapon, the Deplorable World, to destroy everything and everyone.

Before she could cast her curse, however, I used a vast amount of my magic to conceal myself in a protective spiral. Jadis did not see me and did not know I had survived the spell. When I was sure it was safe, I stepped out of my protective case. Even in destruction Charn was a beautiful place. The fading red giant that was the sun was accompanied by a small white star, casting a reddish glow upon the city. The war-ruined empire was dyed in a fiery glow. Fitting. Jadis had won after all. I followed my aunt into the Hall of Images. Hiding behind a pillar, I watched as she walked among the portraits of the past rulers. When she came to the end, to the portrait of my mother, she slashed the face wide open. Her last act of treason. Jadis stood in front of my mother's portrait and waved her hands in the air. A bell appeared in front of her and she grinned maliciously. A cold suction of air wrapped around me as we were both frozen, suspended in animation, only to wake at the bell's toll.

When my aunt woke, she twisted the story of how she and her followers attacked Charn. There was no remorse in her voice. She told the two children that it was my mother, not she, whose pride had destroyed our peaceful world. Jadis also told the little ones that she had offered to spare my mother's life. In that moment, I knew I had to protect the little beings from my aunt's evil tongue. Jadis had not been the Empress of Charn, but had convinced the little ones she had been. That was my breaking point. I moved out of the shadows, gaining Jadis' attention. She screeched in horror when she saw me.

"Oh great Empress of Charn," I fell to my knees in front of my aunt. The two children looked shocked and wary of another Charnian. "I am at your service, dear aunt, Last Empress of Charn. I have awoken to serve you in whatever endeavor."

This greatly pleased my aunt, who had always believed I was young and impressionable and favored me above my siblings because of my power. She did not know I was wise beyond my young years. She placed her hand on my shoulder and I looked up into her dark-as-night eyes. She gave me a small, cruel smirk, "My dear, Eruanna. My sister-daughter. I accept you're service. You shall be my apprentice in the new world, Little Princess."

The boy stammered which caused Jadis to turn to him in what I noticed was almost rage. She calmed herself before the boy managed to say he wasn't expecting her to want to go to his world. He described it as a dull world that was not worth seeing. This mattered not to Jadis. If she could leave Charn she would do it. Before long, the two children plunged their hands into their funny looking trousers. Jadis grabbed the young girl's hair and I took the boy's elbow before the whole world vanished in a flash of green.

We emerged from a pool of some kind. I released the boy's arm and looked around. It was sunny and quiet, the air was warm and rich compared to the stale stiffness of Charn. Something awakened within me; I felt stronger and warmer. The crackle of magic heated my body and begged to be released. With a flick of my fingertips, a small white flower popped up from the ground. Along with healing and protecting, I could grow things with a flick of my fingers. I didn't need a staff to hold my magic for mine came from within me. I went to pick the delicate flower when a white slipper crushed it. The little girl screamed in agony as Jadis skirted around the now dried up pool, stamping on my flower and still clutching the girl's hair. She looked different in this place. Her skin became pallid, the beauty she once possessed left her. The children stared at her, quite unafraid now. The girl began talking about a ring of some sort and, before I could blink, the children and Jadis disappeared.

There was hardly any moment to think before they reappeared again. It was as if the three had never left. The girl and the boy (who was bleeding from his mouth) and Jadis (wielding some sort of metal pole weapon) were joined by a lanky man, a horse, and a larger man. Jadis looked quite sick. I made my way over to the boy. He and the girl protested when I grabbed his chin softly, assessing the damage to his mouth. I ran the tips of my fingers over his lips and the boy gasped as the blood stopped flowing and he rotated his jaw like he had never been hurt.

"How did you do that," the girl asked me incredulously. I just smiled. The girl looked to the boy and whispered, "Quick! Greens!" The larger man had his hand on the horse's mane, the boy grabbed Jadis by the ankle and the girl's hand grasped the large man, and the older man took the larger man's hand. I went to grasp the boy but Jadis pushed me from the new pool they were all standing in. As this happened, Jadis' foot kicked back into the boy and something green rolled out of his pocket.

"No," he cried out. The horse, who had been drinking from the pool, neighed. With a green flash, the six fell into the pool.

It was quiet. Too quiet as I frantically stood up, trying to make sense of what had happened. Magic. It was strong enough to pull us into this wood and strong enough to drag the others into the pool. I had expected them all to appear again like the last time. But something was different. Something felt – right. I couldn't place the feeling, I had this overwhelming sense like they were meant to fall into that pool and I was not.

I walked over to the green ring that the boy had lost and observed it. It was poorly crafted for jewelry. Not that I supposed it was meant to be worn as jewelry. The children had only just touched the ring and the magic worked. That was my guess. Against my better judgment, I picked up the ring with delicate fingers. Nothing happened. I looked to the dried up pool that I was pulled out of. That had to mean that Charn was no more. I didn't feel sad. Charn never felt like home to me, I never belonged. If I were to step into a pool – I would be transported to another world? In Charn, we had knowledge of other worlds besides our own. There was, unfortunately, no way of knowing how many were out there. I just hoped the children and their new companions didn't end up in a world like Charn.

Stepping away from the pool they had disappeared into, I searched the wood beyond. I felt more alive here than I had ever been on Charn. But I could not stay. This place – this Wood between the Worlds – was uninhabitable. I had a magic ring that could take me anywhere I desired. Yet, all the pools looked the same. I knew the pool in front of me was the one the children went through. There was a part of me that felt like I had to go through it too. I had to save them from Jadis. But then again, she was no longer my problem, no longer in my life. I was free of a world of war and of death. I could choose my own path. And that made me a coward. I could not condemn those people to face Jadis without knowledge of who she really was.

As I began to inch closer to the pool the others fell in, I heard a faint whisper. And the whisper became clearer as I stood, toes at the edge of the pool. It was my name. _Eruanna_. I rolled the green ring in my hand, feeling the crackle of magic. It wanted me to step into the pool. _Eruanna_. When I turned around I saw a brighter pool. One that I had not noticed before. The water was rippling as if the wind was rolling across the surface. But there was no wind. There was nothing but me. _Eruanna_. I turned away from my spot and, as if in a trance, I walked across the lush grass to the rippling pool. _Eruanna_. _Eruanna_. The green ring began to burn as if it had just been forged. I didn't feel any pain. My reflection stared back at me as I stood at the edge of this mesmerizing pool. One step, that's all it took…

_Eruanna_.

One step.

_Eruanna_.

I looked back in fear at the other pool. It was still…glimmering…promising…

_ERUANNA!_

One step…

A flash of green and a roar of a lion and I was pulled down, down into the deep unknown.


	2. Hobbiton

**SilverMarkings:**** It wasn't my intention to bring any of the Narnia characters into this story again. However, the boy or girl may show up in the end with an ultimatum. Because, of course, **_**The Last Battle**_** can't happen without two green rings. This is strictly a Tolkien universe story from now on with some minor mentions of Charn. Happy Reading!**

**Guest:**** I'm trying to update every Saturday. I definitely will continue. **

When I reached the light I had to shield my eyes from the rays of the bright sun. The sun! I tilted my head up towards the sky, closing my eyes. The bright, warm, _living_ sun. It had been so long since I felt the touch of the sun's rays. So long, in fact, that I started to feel too warm. My royal Charnian garb was not meant for the heat. I removed my heavy scarlet cloak and looked around. I was standing in the middle of a small lake and the first thing I noticed was that I was bone dry. The next thing I saw were the green rolling hills as far as the eye could see. There was a watermill and a few buildings along the edges of the lake. Little colorful round doors dotted the hills as well. Each hill was covered in lush green grass and vibrant flowers. It was possibly the most beautiful setting I had ever seen.

"Good Morning!" My head turned sharply to the voice that had called out. On the other side of the lake stood an old man. He wore a tall pointed grey hat and a long grey cloak. Long white hair and a long white beard spilled out from beneath the hat which covered his facial features. It was the wooden staff that gave him away. Wizard.

Not knowing if he was friend or foe, I cast a simple protection spell over myself should he attack. I shouted in a very Jadis-like way, "Who are you, Wizard? Where am I?"

"If you would so kindly remove yourself from the middle of the lake, I will gladly introduce myself. I am afraid you are scaring the poor inhabitants of this land."

People. Tiny people. Much smaller than the Wizard. They were staring at me, having stopped whatever it was they were doing. They were all dressed in bright but simple clothing, meant for farmland I supposed. We had few farms on Charn so I was not familiar with how the lesser folk dress. As I walked closer to the Wizard, I noticed none of the little people were wearing shoes. Instead, they had large feet with tufts of curly hair upon the tops. Each little being, male and female alike, had a head full of curls and a good natured face. Unfortunately, each face was marred by shock, distrust, or terror.

At the edge of the lake, the Wizard extended a hand which I refused to take. I was still a princess of Charn. I would not dirty myself by touching this Wizard should he turn out to be an amateur conjurer. So I stepped onto the dry land and removed the spell. Up close I could see the Wizard had a pleasant face with twinkling blue eyes. But I knew not to trust a nice face. Jadis had taught me that much.

"Now," the Wizard cleared his throat, "I am Gandalf the Grey. A Wizard as you said. And you are in the middle of the Shire. Hobbiton to be exact. And you, may I ask, are you?"

"I am Eruanna, last Princess of Charn. I was brought here by the magic of a human conjurer."

"Well now, that is a story I should like to hear in full, Lady Eruanna."

And that is how I ended up in an inn of sorts, eating a feast of greens, berries, meats, and ale. My mother always reprimanded me for being too trusting. But he had given me no reason to distrust him yet. As I explained everything to the Grey Wizard, he listened carefully. In return, the old man explained to me that I had appeared in a world called Middle Earth and that the little people were called Hobbits. Hobbits were wary of tall folk, as the Wizard explained. Their height ranged between two and four feet, making myself and the Wizard tower over them. Hobbits were a modest people; peace-loving and quiet. Much different from my people.

As my tale drew to an end, the Grey Wizard was suddenly bombarded by tiny Hobbit children. They were quite adorable. They jumped around and tugged on his grey cloak with large, bright smiles on their faces, "Gandalf! Gandalf! Fireworks, Gandalf?"

The Wizard chuckled good-naturedly. I gave him a confused look. Still chuckling, he said, "It seems you have arrived on Midsummer's Eve, Lady Eruanna." He got up and the children, still clutching his cloak, practically dragged the Wizard out of The Green Dragon_._ I grunted. There were no dragons in Charn let alone green ones. What a silly name.

I remained at the table, glaring at the doors of the inn, wondering what to do next. I was in an unfamiliar world with no sense of direction, no friends, and no way to go back to the Wood. I was sure the green ring only worked one way so I assumed I was stuck. But maybe being stuck in this land wouldn't be so bad. It was beautiful and full of life. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought I could ever be found in a place like Hobbiton.

A tug on my navy dress pulled me from my thoughts. A little Hobbit boy looked up at me with large blue-grey eyes; his light brown hair fell into those eyes in messy curls. We stared at each other for some time. He held all the curiosity of a young child and I was caught between glaring at him to scare the child off and smiling at the little thing sweetly. What came out was an upturned grimace.

"You're very pretty," the child suddenly told me. His face turned completely red when he realized what it was he actually said. My grimace turned into a smile and I laughed.

"And you are the handsomest little Hobbit. What is your name, little one?"

"Bilbo Baggins," he replied bashfully as he held out his tiny hand.

I took his hand, which was much smaller than my own, and gave it a little shake, "Well, Master Baggins, it is an honor to meet you."

"Are you really a Princess," he asked me suddenly. I had no idea he heard my tale.

A little shocked I stuttered, "Well – I – it's a – yes. Princess Eruanna of Charn."

"Do you have a Prince in your home? Mama says every Princess has to have a Prince."

I gave Bilbo a sad smile, "No, little Master."

The smile on the young Hobbit's face melted into a heartbreaking frown, "But…why?"

"I am the last of my great people. I have no home anymore, nor do I have a Prince to go back to."

Suddenly, Bilbo's face lit up again. He squeezed my hand and started pulling me out of the chair. The little Hobbit tripped over his much too large feet as I tried to bend over to accommodate his tiny stature. As he led me out of the Inn, I noticed more Hobbits had gathered and where unloading goods and tables and wheelbarrows of chairs as tall as the Wizard stood. Earlier, he mentioned something called Midsummer's Eve. There was a similar festival on Charn which was dedicated to the anniversary of the defeat of the other nations; the complete and unquestionable rein of Charnian royalty.

I felt little Bilbo squeeze my fingers and I crouched down to his level. He smiled, "Pretty Lady, if you do not have a home or a Prince, I will be your Prince and you can share my home!"

"Bilbo? Bilbo, darling? Where are you?"

Bilbo's head shot to the left to where his name was being called by a woman. Possibly the little one's mother. I don't know how these creatures let their young run around unchecked. In Charn, it was dangerous to go out on your own so young. Most children who ran off never made it back home alive. Bilbo looked back at me and gave me one of his bright smiles. I was beginning to like this little Hobbit. He turned around and grabbed something off a cart behind him. It was a red flower with the petals cupped closely together. He told me it was called a tulip.

With another large smile and a squeeze of my hand, the young Bilbo Baggins clumsily ran off to his mother. I stared at the tulip with a small smile tugging at my lips. No one had ever given me a flower before. I muttered a short incantation and twirled my fingers above the tulip. The magic I used would cause the flower to never wilt and always keep its bright color, reminding me of little Bilbo wherever I should journey in this land.

"Lady Eruanna, there you are," I looked up to see the Wizard leaning on his staff. His eyes lit up when he saw the red flower in my hand. He said nothing, but I could tell he was happy with the little friend I had made so fast. "It would seem the Hobbits are in need of another pair of hands to set up their party."

For the next few hours, the Grey Wizard and I helped set up for the big festival. We propped up tents and rows upon rows of tables and chairs and pavilions for the food. I went around hanging lanterns of all different colors on the branches of trees and attached some to the tent poles. What took the longest to set up was the enormous open-air kitchen in the north corner of the field. Cooks from every Inn and eatery from miles around began to show up and start the feast for the party-goers. As evening fell upon Hobbiton, the many little people of the land began to arrive. Laughter and revelry floated around me. Torches and candles and lanterns were lit as the dance space and wooden tables filled up fast.

The festival was like nothing I had ever seen before. It seemed like a bunch of entertainments rolled into one, definitely a party. Everyone from all corners of the Shire showed up, as the Wizard reckoned. When it seemed that there would be no bit of space left, the party became livelier. There were songs, dancing, music, games, lots of good food, and plenty to drink. The Wizard let off what he called fireworks by the dozens. Not only were they brought by him, but they were also designed and made by him. They were called squibs, crackers, backarappers, sparklers, torches, dwarf-candles, elf-fountains, goblin-barkers, and thunder-claps. They were all wonderful. If I ever were to leave this Middle-Earth, I would take some of those glorious fireworks with me.

I surprised myself by dancing with a few little Hobbit boys as the fireworks blazed above our heads. My absolute favorite were the green trees with dark, smoky trunks; their leaves opened as they would in springtime, and the branches dropped glowing flowers which disappeared with a sweet scent just before they touched your face. The butterfly sparklers were a big hit with the children. I lost many a small dance partner to their golden beauty. The Hobbit boys gasped at the pillars of colored fires that rose up into eagles and the girls oohed at the lovely flying swans.

"Lady! Lady," I looked down to see little Bilbo Baggins tugging on my dress. I noticed he had a habit of pulling on my clothes.

"Young Master Baggins," I exclaimed. "Are you here to dance with your Princess?"

Bilbo giggled as I took his tiny hands and swung him around. The squeals of delight were enough to lift anyone's cold heart. But how could I be cold on a night like this. These Hobbits were such infectious beings. I couldn't help but feel absolutely happy with them. Charn was never my true home, here in Hobbiton, I felt more at ease and more myself. I didn't have to be a war-hardened Princess. I could just be Eruanna.

"It would seem my son had taken an interest in you."

A rather beautiful Hobbit woman with curly black hair and sparkling dark eyes stood in front of myself and little Bilbo. The young boy giggled again and I set him down. He rushed to her and clutched her skirts, hiding his adorable face. She had a mischievous look about her as she took a bite out of an apple. I found myself wanting to impress this woman. I didn't want her to dislike me for some reason. She swallowed the fruit she was chewing thoughtfully and grinned. Wiping her hand on her red skirt, she then extended it.

"Belladonna Baggins. Or Mrs. Bungo Baggins. Whichever you prefer."

"Prin – Eruanna. It is lovely to meet you," I gave the Hobbit lady a small smile. I don't know what stopped me from telling her I was a Princess. I was brought up to always let people know who I was and always make them respect my royalty.

"Whereabouts do you come from, Prin-Eruanna?"

"It's just Eruanna. I – well I'm not from around here –"

"The young Eruanna has lost her home and family, unfortunately," I was relieved when the Wizard stepped in. Belladonna Baggins looked at me with all the sadness I thought she could muster. It was the same look that Bilbo had given me earlier when I told him I didn't have a Prince. There was no denying they were mother and son.

"My dear," she whispered. I was surprised when she placed her hand on mine. "What have you been doing all this time? No family or home to call your own?"

"Momma," Bilbo looked up at his mother with big eyes and a smile. "The Lady is a princess, momma. I am her Prince and she has to share our home now!"

"Oh, oh no. I really –" I started.

"She has been traveling with me, Mrs. Baggins," the Wizard told the Hobbit woman. Belladonna Baggins did not look convinced. "Lady Eruanna is a Witch of my order. I am her mentor."

I stared up at the Grey Wizard in disbelief. I had a hard time believing what he said myself. But Belladonna Baggins seemed to accept the Wizard's words. She gave my hand a little squeeze and told me that any time I needed a place to stay, her home was open to me. The generosity of this woman made my heart ache. My own mother would have never given refuge to a strange woman she had just met. Mother most likely would have sentenced that poor woman to death for even being in her vicinity.

Soon, Bilbo began to tire and Belladonna prepared to take her leave. She picked up her tired son and gave me a warm grin. She asked me if I would like to stay the night. It would be improper of her to leave her son's Princess behind. Against my better judgment, I accepted the Hobbit's offer. Their home, Bag End, wasn't nasty or dirty or wet as I suspected a hole in the ground would be. There were no worms or trashy smell either. To my delight, Bag End was dry and warm and very comfortable indeed. Despite my height, I was also happy to find that I could walk around their home without hitting my head on the ceiling. Belladonna Baggins set up one of the many guest rooms for me and turned in for the night. An hour passed and I couldn't sleep. I stayed awake even when the door to my room opened and a little mop of curly hair entered. Bilbo climbed into the bed as the thunder of a summer storm rolled about the sky. It wasn't until he was curled into my side and breathing softly when I too succumbed to sleep, dreams of bursting fireworks and little Hobbits dancing in my mind.


End file.
